Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a malignant (cancerous) tumor that starts in the cells of the breasts. The main parts of the female breast are lobules (glands that make breast milk), ducts (milk passages that connect the lobules and the nipple), fatty and connective tissue, blood vessels, and lymph vessels. Most breast cancers begin in the ducts (ductal), some in the lobules (lobular), and the rest in other tissues.

Breast cancer occurs mostly in women, but there have been cases where men have also been found with the disease.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women second to skin cancer and currently, there are a little over two million women in the United States who have been treated for breast cancer.

The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer during her lifetime is one in seven. However, the American Cancer Society states the rate of death from breast cancer has been going down. This decline is most likely due to earlier detection through mammography and other screenings and through improved treatments.

Breast Cancer- National Cancer Institute
Detailed Guide to Breast Cancer- American Cancer Society